ABSTRACT

Geography, historical factors, political culture, and the timing of Asian development combine to give this region unique feature affecting both domestic and international politics. Chinese and Indian colonialism of the pre-Western era in paradoxical fashion contributed simultaneously to a broader cultural identity and intensified divisions. The cultural reach of these two great civilizations extended further and lasted longer than their military-political controls. The Indian penetration of South and Southeast Asia took similar forms, but with different results. The social and religious impact that flowed in various waves from India was less conducive to the type of political integration related to the Confucian order. Japanese excess energy and power flowed into the tasks of "liberating" Asia from the twin threats of communism and Western imperialism. Asian interstate relations were almost nonexistent, particularly in the early post-1945 period. The international politics of the period was dominated by the United States and the USSR.